TTR: Time to Resolution

TTR (Time to Resolution) is a service and operations metric that measures the total time required to fully resolve an issue, request, or incident-from the moment it is reported to the moment it is closed and no further action is required. Unlike response-time metrics, TTR reflects end-to-end effectiveness, not just initial acknowledgment.

TTR is widely used in customer support, IT service management, operations, and production environments where speed, accuracy, and reliability of issue resolution directly affect customer experience and operational stability.

Resolution time may be measured in minutes, hours, or days depending on issue severity, industry standards and internal service-level agreements (SLAs).

Why Measure TTR

Measuring TTR provides insight into how efficiently an organization resolves problems-not just how fast it reacts.

From a customer perspective, faster resolution reduces frustration and lowers the likelihood of churn. From an internal perspective, TTR highlights process maturity and operational discipline.

Key reasons organizations track TTR include:

TTR as a customer satisfaction driver
Long resolution times are a common cause of dissatisfaction and repeat contacts. Prolonged issues often correlate with lower CSAT and declining retention.

Operational efficiency assessment
TTR exposes bottlenecks across workflows, escalations, approvals or cross-team dependencies.

Service quality monitoring
Tracking TTR by issue type or channel helps identify where service delivery breaks down.

SLA compliance
TTR ensures that resolution performance aligns with contractual or internal commitments.

Risk and incident management
In IT and operations, prolonged TTR increases business risk and downtime impact.

TTR vs Related Support Metrics

TTR should not be evaluated in isolation. It complements several other operational metrics.

TTR vs FRT (First Response Time). FRT measures how quickly a customer receives the first reply, while TTR measures how long it takes to fully solve the problem. A fast FRT with a slow TTR often signals superficial responsiveness without real resolution.

TTR vs FCR (First Contact Resolution). FCR focuses on whether issues are resolved in a single interaction. TTR applies regardless of the number of interactions and is especially important for complex cases.

Together, these metrics provide a more complete picture of service performance.

How TTR Is Calculated

The basic TTR formula is straightforward:

TTR = Time of Resolution − Time of Submission

Where:

• Time of Submission is when the issue was officially logged
• Time of Resolution is when the issue is confirmed as fully resolved

However, accurate calculation requires methodological clarity.

Organizations must define:

• what qualifies as "resolved"
• whether to count calendar time or business hours
• how to handle customer-caused delays
• whether reopened tickets reset the clock

Most modern service platforms automate TTR calculation to ensure consistency and reduce reporting errors.

Example TTR Calculation

Issue reported: April 2, 2025, 09:30
Issue resolved: April 3, 2025, 14:45

Total elapsed time:
1 day + 5 hours + 15 minutes = 29.25 hours

The TTR for this case is 29.25 hours, representing the full lifecycle from reporting to closure.

General TTR Methodology

A structured TTR methodology ensures that measurements are meaningful and actionable.

• First, define resolution criteria clearly. Ambiguous closure definitions distort metrics.
• Second, standardize timestamp capture for submission and resolution events.
• Third, classify issues by type, priority or complexity. Comparing all cases together hides critical insights.
• Fourth, aggregate TTR data using averages, medians and percentiles rather than relying on single values.
• Finally, analyze TTR trends over time to detect systemic issues and improvements. This longitudinal view is more valuable than isolated measurements and is conducted as a time series analysis.

What Is a Normal TTR

There is no universal "normal" TTR. Acceptable resolution time depends on context.

• Critical IT incidents often require resolution within hours.
• Standard support requests may allow one to several business days.
• Low-priority or informational requests may tolerate longer timelines.

Rather than chasing generic benchmarks, organizations should define realistic internal targets aligned with customer expectations and SLA commitments. Over time, these targets can be tightened as processes mature.

How to Improve TTR

Reducing TTR requires more than asking teams to "work faster." Sustainable improvements come from structural changes.

Process improvements
Clear triage rules, standardized workflows, and reduced handoffs shorten resolution cycles.

Knowledge availability
Centralized documentation and internal knowledge bases reduce investigation time.

Automation
Automated routing, notifications, and diagnostics eliminate manual delays.

Training and empowerment
Well-trained agents with decision authority resolve issues without unnecessary escalation.

Cross-team coordination
Improved collaboration between support, engineering, and operations minimizes waiting time between steps.

Analytics-driven optimization
Regular analysis of TTR by category helps identify root causes and prioritize fixes. This aligns TTR improvement with broader continuous improvement initiatives when predictive analysis is conducted.

Final Thoughts

Time to Resolution is one of the most honest service metrics because it measures what customers ultimately care about: how long problems last. While fast responses matter, real value is delivered only when issues are fully resolved.

Organizations that manage TTR effectively:

• define resolution clearly
• analyze trends, not just averages
• combine TTR with complementary metrics
• treat resolution speed as a process outcome, not an agent KPI

When used correctly, TTR becomes a powerful indicator of service maturity, operational health, and customer trust.